Dr Gabrielle Maria Kearney

Gabrielle Kearney, Consultant Adult General Psychiatrist, died at a local Hospice aged 42. She was a compassionate woman who will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues.

Born in Liverpool in 1960, Gabby, as she was always known, attended Notre Dame High School in Woolton. She studied Medical Microbiology at the University of Dundee, gaining a BSc (Hons) in 1984. She remained in Dundee to study medicine, qualifying in 1987. After completing her pre-registration year, she was appointed to the North Staffordshire/South Cheshire Psychiatric Training Scheme based at the Department of Postgraduate Medicine, University of Keele. She was elected MRCPsych in 1991 and joined the North Wales Higher Psychiatric Training Scheme in August 1992.

Gabby took up post as a full-time Consultant Psychiatrist in Southport in January 1996, and continued working at the Hesketh Centre until shortly before her death. She was involved in providing mental health services to the adult populations of Southport and Formby. She was appointed shortly after the closures of the asylum in Southport and Greaves Hall Hospital, and relocation of the mental health service to the Hesketh Centre. She was tireless in her efforts to modernise the service and it was not unusual for her to work late on most nights of the week. She was first and foremost a clinician, but took an active role in service provision, teaching and audit. Her gentle determination, strong work ethic and excellent clinical acumen made her popular with her patients and well liked by her colleagues. She worked hard to improve patient care and to offer alternatives to hospital admission, and the Crisis Unit and partial hospitalisation system are now established features of the mental health service in Southport. She regularly gave lectures and seminars to the staff of the local Samaritans to support them in their service.

She was one of six children in a large, caring family in Liverpool. Her younger brother, Jamie, particularly enjoyed those trips to the States he was able to make with her. Gabby herself never married and had no children of her own. Her Catholic faith became increasingly important to her and was a great source of strength, particularly in her latter years. She attended her local church regularly and made a number of trips to Lourdes.

Gabby enjoyed a simple lifestyle, but had a fondness for opera, films and fine wines. She had a particular passion for travel. During her university days, for example, she spent an elective period in Kenya working at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi and at a Catholic mission in a rural area and as a psychiatric registrar, she organised a placement for herself in Melbourne. She also travelled widely during vacations.

She was a generous woman, who donated to a number of charitable organisations and had sponsored a child in Africa, with whom she received regular correspondence. She was one of those people who had an aura of approachability and benevolence.

Gabby was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1996. She faced her illness with courage and dignity. She died on 7 June 2002, following a sudden recurrence of the cancer. She is missed by all who knew her.